Alex Smith on Harbaugh, Singletary, Nolan: How he got the chip on his shoulder, in a good way

Alex Smith naturally had zero desire to be controversial or self-satisfied in this sitdown interview with me at the 49ers facility today, and he wasn’t at all.

He’s been through a lot, and there’s still a long ways to go in the 2011 season, no need to go off the rails now. Totally understood.

No surprise, Smith was smart, thoughtful and as honest and reflective as I
could ask from any QB in the midst of a hugely significant 49ers season, after six years of disarray and criticism.

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I’ll be writing and filing a column from this interview in a bit.

Quick summary: Smith knew I’d be asking about Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary and a few other hot-button issues, and Smith handled those questions adeptly, as you can read in the long, long transcript from the 32-minute talk.

It’s certainly not controversial, but I think it’s reasonably informative about where his mind is at now, how Harbaugh has helped him, and what things he can take from the seasons with Nolan and Singletary.

I tried to make some connections and ask him about them. I covered everything I could think of, with the theme of a look-back at how the first six tough seasons in 49ersland have affected and possibly steeled him for the current stage of his career.

-A side note must be made about & thanks given to departing 49ers PR assistant Ryan Moore–who has handled most of Smith’s media requests for several years and who was the go-between for me and Smith to set up this interview.

I told Smith and Moore that this interview and resulting blog-posts and column was either my good-bye gesture to Moore (headed to Yahoo!) or it was Smith’s good-bye gesture, we won’t know until it all gets published.

I think Smith and Moore agreed about that last point.

Here’s the interview. Warning: It’s long.

—-ALEX SMITH interview transcript/

-Q: I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks you’ve changed a bit—personality and as a player—since 2005. You’re edgier. Would you say the rough experiences of the previous six years have maybe given you a necessary harder edge?

-SMITH: Yeah. It’s a good question. I definitely totally agree with you. I don’t know if it’s just getting older that makes you care less what people think… And I mean that in a good way.

When I was young, I just tried to please everybody. Especially being the first pick, I was, ‘man, I’m going to prove it to everybody.’

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And not just you, the media, and the fans, but my teammates, coaches… and I’m going to do it on every single play. And with every action.

Then as you get older, it’s not like it went away after my first year. It was a while. I think as I’ve gone through some of those things… I do think having gone through especially the last few years, especially the rocky times, it probably sped that up for me.

Just understanding it, but also, I don’t care. I’m going to focus on other stuff. I don’t really care about that stuff.

-Q: A lot of bad stuff happened. Do you think part of where you are now is a result, in a weird way, of learning things from those bad times?

-SMITH: I do think so, a little bit. Especially mentally. I think as I’ve gotten older and the things I’ve gone through, I’m not as concerned about what everybody thinks.

And I think, especially as a quarterback, that affected my play as a young player. Trying to do too much.

-Q: Over-thinking stuff…

-SMITH: Oh, for sure. Instead of just focusing on playing quarterback. Just play quarterback.

-Q: My thought: Because you were thinking through things, you weren’t as natural as you could be. But now you’re not thinking about it as much, you’re more of a leader. Kind of strange how that works?

-SMITH: Yeah. I mean, that makes sense.

I can just remember games as a young player, counting my stats on the sideline. ‘What am I now? I’m this many completions for this many attempts, I wonder what my rating is.’ You know?

Just so consumed with… because of the stats, how is this going to be portrayed, all that stuff. For sure as a young player, it’s too big of a deal.

-Q: When did that kind of stuff go away in your mind? When did you think, just play football?

-SMITH: I think the last couple years—that’s really kind of did it for me. Because I guess the couple years prior, I had the shoulder injuries and I wasn’t playing much. I played a little bit, sparingly, in the ’07 year, on and off. And then ’08 I missed.

So really, kind of the last two years… 2009, 2010, coming back, playing decent amount of football those couple of years, I think having gone through what we’ve gone through.

-Q: You’ve mentioned that one thing you most like about Harbaugh is what you’ve touched on—he doesn’t care what people think about him. I guess that really triggered something for you, maybe you were headed there anyway, but…

-SMITH: I think so. I do think so. I think I saw that and was headed in that direction. But as someone watching his actions, I mean, here’s someone that played 15 years in the NFL. I don’t think anyone does that that doesn’t have something to him.

I saw that and I appreciated that. Just a guy who’s not really concerned with what people think about him at all. He’s going to live his life and he’s not going to dwell on, ‘oh, what do they think about that? What is this person thinking? Should I have done something different?’

He’s just moving on. I mean that in a good way. I think when I saw that, not even on the field, but in the film room, just his every day actions…

-Q: There’s a chip on Harbaugh’s shoulder, like you say, in a good way. Is there a chip on your shoulder?

-SMITH: Oh for sure, at this point, no question.

-Q: About what, specifically?

-SMITH Just everything. Playing high school ball, I was on a very good team, obviously I played with Reggie (Bush). And I didn’t get recruited. That, for me… I could tell you all the major quarterbacks coming out of high school my year. ‘Cause I was consumed with it. I knew I could play this game, but I wasn’t getting any love, you know?

But I knew I could play Division I ball, that was my dream. Finally got an offer and went up to Utah and for sure had a chip on my shoulder there. I was determined to prove to everybody that they made a mistake.

Did that. Obviously college was an unbelievable experience. And then all of a sudden, everything happened so fast.

I was a 20-year-old junior, Urban leaves, we go undefeated and all of a sudden, it’s like, hey, do you want to come out? I hadn’t even thought about that stuff. I was so determined with what we were doing—we were going to break down the BCS, we were going to prove it.

I played a lot of guys at Utah that were just the same way. We weren’t recruited. All we wanted to do was play these BCS schools. All we wanted to do was prove them wrong.

Then all of a sudden when you’re the No. 1 pick, it’s a very different thing. You’re no longer the underdog. You’re the No. 1 pick. So that kind of flipped everything.

-Q: It’s better to have obstacles sometimes.

-SMITH: The mentality is different when you’re an underdog. You’re coming out blazing, you’re throwing punches.

Then all of a sudden it got flipped on me and I was the No. 1 pick, and I very much tried to be perfect. I tried to play perfect. I tried to be cautious. I didn’t want to screw up. I didn’t want to make mistakes.

I played a lot of times not to make mistakes.

-Q: Wasn’t that the coaching emphasis, too?

-SMITH: No question. I think there are different styles of play at quarterback, don’t get me wrong.

But when you’re playing every play like that, making every throw thinking, ‘don’t throw a pick, don’t throw a pick.’ You can’t play quarterback like that. I mean, it’s impossible.

-Q: You look at some of those early games now and think, ‘what the hell was I doing out there?’

-SMITH: I guess I look back now and I was so young. Such a different situation. I think that goes under the same mentality of what we were talking about earlier—not being so concerned with what people think.

What really matters is doing everything to help this team win. Especially on game day. There’s going to be good plays, there’s going to be bad plays, but what’s the next play? What can I do to help us win?

Being more worried about my teammates and executing the gameplan, playing the position, that’s helped me. And I think I was getting there the last couple years, but I think especially this year, now with having coach Harbaugh and the staff, the group of guys we have, that’s really what’s helped me the most this year.

-Q: You’ve certainly received your share of criticism, including from me, but obviously not just me. Anything you’ve heard over the years that you can say you’ve used constructively to get to where you are now?

-SMITH: Yeah. Especially looking back. I guess at the time, you’re in the middle of it…

-Q: And you don’t love to hear it

-SMITH: Yeah. I think the quarterback position moreso than in all of sports, no other position compares, you rely on so many people to do your job.

A batter steps in a batters box and it doesn’t really matter. You’re shooting a jump shot, it doesn’t really matter.

Football—that’s why it’s so popular, it’s such a great team sport. But the quarterback moreso than everybody else, you just rely on everybody, coaches and players included, to be able to do your job. Just to have a chance to do your job, and then you have to go do it at a high level.

-Q: The quotes that follows you is from 2005, when Urban Meyer said that you’re “non-functional” if you’re not totally comfortable in a system. Did that bother you? Was that true?

-SMITH: I don’t know about non-functional. But for sure, I definitely agreed with it. I get the point he was trying to make.

-Q: That you’re a process guy.

-SMITH: Yes, absolutely. I wasn’t a roll-it-out-there, run around, backyard ball guy. Especially as a young player, I needed the structure. I needed the finality of ‘OK, if it’s this coverage, go here. If it’s this coverage, go there.’ It’s bang, bang, bang.

And then I needed to master it. It’s not just knowing it once, but knowing all the offensive line calls, knowing all that stuff and it’s all coming together, and then that allowed me finally to play fast.

Until I knew all that stuff, yeah, I played slow, because I was hesitant, second-guess myself, ‘oh, it’s this coverage, should I have gone here, should I have gone there?’

Definitely agreed with it and I think one of the things that’s helped me overcome that is just the turnover. Just having the turnover of the systems.

-Q: You’ve pretty much been in all of them by now.

-SMITH: Yeah. I think now especially the last couple of years, I feel like it’s helped me. No off-season to learn an offense, really kind of had to come into camp and hit the ground running.

I really think with my background in so many different things there’s not much you can draw up on paper that I haven’t run at some point. Probably not much at all that you could come up with—blocking schemes, protections, this and that—that I haven’t had at some point here.

I really feel like at this point it’s helped me. I’ve been around so much.

-Q: That gets to a can’t-surprise-me-with-anything theme.

-SMITH: Exactly. We can call it something different, we can give it a different name…

-Q: And there’s an assuredness in that.

-SMITH: Been there, done that. And confidence comes with having been somewhere before and done it. All of a sudden, yeah, I’ve run that play. I can do that.

-Q: But it didn’t work out here for so many years… Is there some real pride in sticking it out and doing it here?

-SMITH: I guess from my upbringing—I think I get it from my father—just because it might be the easy thing to do, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.

I just kind of felt it was the easy way out—‘well, I’ll just leave and go somewhere else.’ Like, basically, (indicating) that it was their fault, it wasn’t me.

I felt that would’ve been the mentality with that decision. It was unique off-season, all of a sudden I was coming in and coach Harbaugh got hired…

-Q: During last season, I don’t think we read it wrong, we were seeing signals that you were ready to leave the 49ers.

-SMITH: For sure, end of last season? Yeah.

-Q: In your mind, were you basically gone?

-SMITH: Yeah. It’s such a grind, especially emotionally. But at the end of last season, yeah, I was pretty frustrated with what had been going on here. I was frustrated for sure.

But luckily you don’t have to make decisions right at the end of a season, all emotional. Kind of got a way for a little bit.

-Q: I’ve got to believe your agent Tom Condon was saying, get out of there, start new somewhere else.

-SMITH: Yeah, for sure. The agent? No question, get the hell out. Absolutely. That’s his job.

-Q: And it could’ve worked somewhere else.

-SMITH: For sure. I would’ve walked away from here with a ton of experience, been in all that stuff.

But for me, the last couple of years, this is what I’ve started to understand: Where do I have a chance to have success, and by success, I mean win games. Where is the best opportunity to win games?

And for me, it was an easy decision. It was very clear that this was it. I knew the talent we had here. I knew the guys we had. We didn’t have a bunch of knuckleheads. We’ve got a great group.

Then liked what I was hearing from coach Harbaugh.

-Q: The storyline is pretty good: Alex Smith sticking it out, doing what no No.1 overall pick has ever done, last six losing seasons and succeed in Year 7. You ever look back at the whole thing—I mean, you were in a cold war with your coach?

-SMITH: Yeah, I think about that stuff every now and then. Something will come up… It all goes back, I was just such a young player and young person put in some different situations… definitely learned from all that stuff.

-Q: Were there criticisms you thought were particularly unfair or just terribly wrong?

-SMITH: If someone’s here every day and watches us and is watching the games, that’s far different than the guy that I know that’s never been here, just gets on TV and says something, has no idea of the situation, doesn’t know the details of the situation and is just calling it from afar.

That type of stuff. Guys that have no business evaluating, ex-players that have no business evaluating the quarterback position, all of a sudden throwing their two cents in because their time’s done.

Things like that, I’d be lying if I said that stuff didn’t frustrate me or piss me off.

-Q: Do you think you were sometimes too nice a guy early in your career? I’ve always thought some of your greatest moments were when you publicly lashed back at Nolan’s treatment or some other controversial moment. Do you in any way wish you’d done more of that?

-SMITH: It goes back to me trying to make everybody happy, sometimes. When I was a young player, trying to get everybody to like me.

I think those two things go hand in hand—you can’t play quarterback like that. Especially a young one.

I guess I look back and would I do some things differently? Yeah…

-Q: You’re never going to be a controversial guy…

-SMITH: Yeah, but I guess there’s a way of doing things. I guess that’s the thing I’ve learned now. There’s a way to go about things that’s the right way. You can still get your point across and fight your battles.

-Q: Do you have anything to say to Nolan now?

-SMITH: No, no. You know, it’s funny, I haven’t talked to him since… for quite a while. At this point, I know this, I’ve grown up so much since then. I would’ve just done it differently looking back. Still fight that battle, just do it a different way.

And I would say that to him, no question. We’d probably laugh about it.

-Q: Harbaugh himself said you were thrown under the bus by this organization… Do you think you were thrown under the bus?

-SMITH: I’ve never thought that, no. The people in this building, in this organization, have always been so supportive of me. I’ve never got that impression.

I’ve never felt like I was a scapegoat, by any means. From the organization, I’ve never felt like that.

I mean, you’re the quarterback, if you lose games, you’re going to get… it’s the head coach and the quarterback. If you’re not winning, it’s on you.

-Q: Then Singletary, I think was trying to praise you, but he called you “meek,” and I was there and heard it. Did that bug you?

-SMITH: Oh, for sure. I don’t want to dig up all that stuff, but just different opinions on what strength is, in my opinion. Different opinions of what toughness is. Different opinions of what really I think being a man is, a little bit.

Those are different, from my mind. And we disagreed about a lot of those things.

-Q: With each other?

-SMITH: Yeah, for sure. I guess what exactly defines a man. What is really toughness.

-Q: You had conversations with Singletary about it/

-SMITH: Oh yeah, all the time. This wasn’t something that didn’t get talked about. Yep.

-Q: Sounds like we can connect what you went as a lightly-recruited non BCS guy at Utah, and then the battles of the last several years of your career here. Do you make that connection—two chip-on-your-shoulder situations?

-SMITH: Yeah, for sure. Absolutely. Having gone through what I’ve gone through, determined.

-Q: Are there moments when you want to tell off some of your critics and point to the win-loss record?

-SMITH: Back then, for sure. Not now. Not at this point. It’s still so early. But back then (at Utah), oh for sure. You go undefeated, go to the BCS and beat the pants off of Pitt and the first ones to do it. We were the first school (to come from outside the BCS) to do that.

We all had a little redemption in that.

But at this point, now, not even close. Not. Even. Close. That’s what’s making it fun, though.

-Q: How dangerous do you think this team can be in the playoffs?

-SMITH: Good question, how am I going to word this? I think on offense, and I really mean this, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what we can do. Really only kind of toyed with what we can become and when we play well and kind of firing on all cylinders.

The defense is playing really well right now, special teams… I mean, we’re playing as a team, playing good football across the board.

But I think on offense, we’ll show it in spurts here and there, but really haven’t really scratched it… for me, and I’ve said this before, that’s the encouraging thing. That’s the scary thing for all of us—we haven’t really hit it yet.

-Q: Haven’t really needed to.

-SMITH: Yeah, and have been winning games like that. Boy, wait until we really get going and get in a groove.

-Q: You mean cutting loose?

-SMITH: Yeah, both ways, just firing, attacking. Just attacking defenses. And we do it. But obviously, the first year, the long season, we’re still just learning and still growing every week with each other. It’s only the tip of the iceberg.

-Q: Then you hear the “game manager” thing, which I guess isn’t really praise, but isn’t that bad, either. Is there a time when you’ve got to be way more than that—not just you, but the entire offense? Doing what Brady does or what Brees did last night?

-SMITH: You just have go through games like that in order for that to happen.

-Q: You did it a little against Philly.

-SMITH: Yeah, and battled back and really threw it that second half, coming down.

Where I’m at, I just don’t give a crap about that right now. We’re winning games, playing football, you know what I’m saying? I’m having such a good time playing football and trying to get better at my position and trying to strive for that each and every week.

I guess I just don’t give a crap right now. Now, will it come to that? I don’t know. I think with all that stuff, winning games, you’re going to knock down all those doors.

I think there’s going to come a time, yeah, when all of a sudden, the game’s going to come to that, we’re going to have to make plays in the passing game. I’m going to have to make plays in the pocket and we’re going to have to do that.

That’s football. I think that time will come.

-Q: Have you noticed that the locker room is looking at you differently? Does it maybe go back to Camp Alex and you just taking the initiative like that?

-SMITH: Maybe a better question for them. This is how I approached it: The teammates I respect the most, it’s not necessarily the play—you have to go out and do it on Sunday, no question. But really, it’s the approach to the game, the commitment level… that’s always what meant the most to me, as far as my teammates.

So for me, that’s always what I’ve tried to strive for. And I always have done. I’ve always put so much time in. It’s always meant everything to me.

But yeah, that might all go hand in hand, having gone through what I’ve gone through. I don’t know if it makes a difference to my teammates or not.

-Q: Do you think there were times in your career when your teammates weren’t sure what to expect from you as a leader?

-SMITH: Yeah, especially early.

-Q: And you were the No. 1 pick. You weren’t named a captain that one year. That did signify something, right?

-SMITH: Yeah, for sure. I haven’t thought about it…

-Q: Having gone through all that and now 9-2, can you imagine not being with this team next season?

-SMITH: (Laughs.) I’ve said this before, I look forward to dealing with that when we’re done, when we’re wrapped up, when the season’s done. That’ll be there to go through. But right now, we’re in the meat of it. We’re in the thick of it right now. I’m not even thinking about that.

What good does it do? That decision will still be there when this is all done. We’re right in right now. We’ve got a big game—we can clinch the playoffs this week, there’s just so much going on that I’ve never gone through at this level, a lot of guys in the locker room have never gone through.

-Q: Yeah, that must be a pretty good first-time feeling. Fun, huh?

-SMITH: Yeah, ton of fun. Unbelievable. I mean, to be sitting here and we’re talking about we can clinch a playoff spot this weekend with a win.

-Q: Looking at New Orleans as a playoff match, that kind of thing?

-SMITH: All that stuff. Watched the game last night, absolutely.

These are meaningful games through November and into December. And we’re in control. I’ve never been in that. We’ve always been, like, well, we need this and this to happen. If we win the rest of them we might have a shot…

Just a ton of fun right now. And it’s fun because we’re putting so much in. The rest of that stuff I think will take care of itself after the season.

-Q: Harbaugh was behind you publicly pretty quickly. Did you know that when you first met him? Did he tell you that?

-SMITH: No, I had no idea. No clue. Never knew that. Even our initial conversations, even all the way through, all it was, was an opportunity.

When the conversation finally came up about me coming back, bringing me back, it was an opportunity. It was, we’re going to bring in the best players and it was never hiding that. The draft, free-agency, we’re going to bring in the best guys at the quarterback position. But you have an opportunity to come in and compete with that.

-Q: Did he compliment the way you play at all?

-SMITH: We watched a lot of… all of a sudden I remember we threw on tape from one of my games from last year or two years ago. And going through it. This wasn’t like…

-Q: How great you were?

-SMITH: It was, that was a great play. And then this, we’ve got to get rid of the ball here. We’ve got to hit that. Things like that. Literally, it all of a sudden was coaching, the way he is.

Like I said, there’s not… it’s all ball. I didn’t know it then, but at this point I obviously love it, it’s all football. And there’s no room for being sensitive.

-Q: And you respond to it…

-SMITH: Yeah, I loved it. That’s the way it was, everything was put in a constructive way. Just get better. I never felt like and still never feel, when we watch the film, we go through the Baltimore game, and we all go through it together, everything gets put out there. I mean, everything gets put out there, good and bad. And obviously from that game, a lot of the latter.

But it’s all out there…

-Q: Is he saying, Alex, what are you doing there?

-SMITH: Yeah, and everybody. Any given play, if you’re not doing your job, it all gets thrown out there. We’ve gotta be better here, we’ve got to get this job done…

I love it. I think all the guys have responded to it, because everybody’s the same.

-Q: Sounds like if Harbaugh had sweet-talked you and immediately said you were great, you might have felt that was insincere.

-SMITH: Yeah, reality. Having been in this situation, it’s not realistic. And it’s definitely not him. It’s not the game of football. It’s not the NFL. There’s such a fine line between winning and losing.

-Q: And you’ve gone through it.

-SMITH: For sure. Especially the last couple years, that’s what I look at. A lot of the same guys in the locker room, with some new faces that are contributing… But what is that fine line there?

-Q: Could you have played like this without Harbaugh being your coach?

-SMITH: I don’t know. I think it goes back… it’s a good question. He and I kind of talk about things… I’m not doing anything preparation-wise than I’ve always done. I’ve always prepared so hard and put in the time. It’s never been a question about that.

There’s a lot of things to point to. I think we all get put and have been getting put in good situations. I think the guys around me are playing at a high level. Everybody’s playing well.

The thing I take away most is it’s just that mindset. It’s that attitude. It’s that chip and how to use it.

-Q: A little swagger.

-SMITH: Just the whole approach. Little things here and there, nuggets and crumbs that I just constantly soak up and try to take in

Keep the wins comin Alex, I always had faith. Line needs to get a little better but I still say we got a shot to take it all this year. Niners v GB NFC Championship Game; BOOK IT.

Mr Mully

“ex-players that have no business evaluating the quarterback position, all of a sudden throwing their two cents in because their time’s done.”

Think he was talking about Jerry Rice’s comments regarding whoever drafted Alex should be fired? Fredo I love you but never go against the family. No wonder Rice can’t get stable television work, he’s Emmit Smith!

Jco

Great interview TK. Floated me through the balance of my never ending work day.

Jeremy

@ Mully no I think he is talking about Jamie Dukes.

cyan

Great interview.

workingman

Alex has shown a lot of leadership this year, and, as this interview shows, a lot of class, too. It will be interesting to see at the end of the regular season when the team votes on team awards how Alex fares with his mates.

Quynh

Thanks for the awesome interview.

MissouriBoy

Said it for years, Alex wasn’t the problem. The problem was an o-line that couldn’t protect, and an offensive coordinator(s) that could not create plays for the team he had. If your o-line is weak, it is very difficult. But even when the o-line improved, the OC(s) were useless, not creative.

Now, we have a great Head Coach, great OC, great DC, and the o-line has matured into a group that works together. Now, Alex can get his job done.

As Alex said: In baseball, the batter doesn’t need any help from other teammates. In basketball when you pull up to shoot the jumper, it is 99% on you, no teammates needed. Nothing happens in football without a full team effort, and everyone executing his job perfectly.

Alex may not be the greatest QB, but he is very good. He can get a team far into the playoffs if given the right team and coaches around him.

Cynic

I could see Alex being a HC someday. He’s seen every offense!

hibcbcbc

Ok. This has been a nice story and certainly Alex has played WAY better than ANY of us thought possible.

More than likely, this team is one and done in the playoffs and Alex will be a big reason why. You can’t hide your quarterback forever.

Yes, the OLine stunk Thursday. But Alex needs to get rid of the ball. He needs to be able to stick it into tight windows.

He isn’t elite, and he never will be. And you need elite quarterbacks to win in the playoffs.

It’s just the reality.

Nice little story so far. I though Alex got exposed Thursday. We can’t win games on his steam.

And that’s what teams will force the 49ers to do in January and February.

Sorry to bust up the party. But he simply isn’t good enough to win big games when they count.

bullship

8….

Get a life….smith was not exposed on Thursday- a Davis and lack of speed was exposed( again). Balt is a pretty good team- they made Pitt look bad – twice- does that make Pitt a one and done?

The niners have some serious issues on offense- but Smith is the best QB in the division and has become a leader.

Seriously , posters like you are soo 2009….

SF NINER FAN

Good interview. I respect the hell out of alex smith for his mental and physical toughness. Ever since his rookie year he has been critiqued heavily (sometimes fairly, sometimes unfairly) by the media, by fans who know very little about the game, by fellow teammates, and by his coaches. Through it all, he has sucked it up and and stayed pretty silent. In additon to that he has also taken a lot of vicious hits over the years playing behind terrible offensive lines and he continues to get back up. For enduring all this he deserves his props. And while I respect him for being a class act throughout his career, I must also include that he was the #1 OVERALL PICK IN THE DRAFT. All of what he has been through comes w/ the territory of being an NFL qb and being the no. 1 overall pick. As a die-hard 49er fan I want the best for him. I remember the tough days back in ’05 when Johnnie Morton was his main target and they couldn’t even pick up a first down. Back when Nolan was on the sideline in his reebok suit grimacing at the terrible product he had put on the field. I want Alex to win a super bowl here in the bay area just like every other niner fan but I’m not sure I see it happening. The long, loopy delivery, the happy feet when he feels pressure that’s not really there, the inaccuracy (he overthrows receivers and misses high regularly), all that stuff still exists today just like it always has. And I might be going too far with this but….you can say what you want about Aaron Rodgers sitting behind Brett Favre for 3 yrs but if you truly feel like Alex Smith has more physical talent than Rodgers YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND. The proof is out there on the field every week and the reality is that these 2 qb’s will be compared to each other for the rest of their careers. But I know, I know, this isn’t about Rodgers. This is a great story about the underdog and how he’s rising to the top so go ahead and fall in love w/ him and don’t let me get in your way. I’m just a realist and I call things the way I see them. The screw-up on that draft pick in 2005 was a big reason the 49ers have been down so long. Sure, they were horrible in the years before he got drafted but drafting a BETTER QB in ’05 would have greatly helped their cause, and it should have been an easy decision considering he was playing right here at Cal. You don’t draft a qb no. 1 overall and put him on a 7 year plan that’s just not how it works. The qb is the general, he runs the show and it’s on him to make things happen for the offense and to be a leader for the whole team. Granted, it hasn’t been all Alex’s fault but try to remember some of the 49er games you have watched over the last 7 years and you might see where I’m coming from, he hasn’t exactly been stellar and he’s still not. If Alex Smith deserves credit for anything it’s his resilience and I would be the first to give him that credit. He has been through a lot of adversity and he’s handled it well but football isn’t a game for the weak and a lot of that is adversity is expected. He is improving and that’s all I can really say. I’m happy for the guy but I gotta keep it real. Sorry to rain on your parade TK.

John

@hibcbcbc

It’s too early to disagree with you, but I would counter with when has he had a chance to prove he can’t win the big games when it counts. Any QB would’ve be destroyed in the Raven game, save maybe Manning or maybe Brady. I mean even Brady lost the Super Bowl as a massive favorite against the Giants in large part because the Pats O-line failed him miserably. Now being Brady he almost overcame that, but still. I’m not saying Alex is Brady, Manning, or Brees, but I don’t think we know what he is yet.

He spent so many years with awful awful coaching that only now are we realizing the depth of the awfulness of the coaching all those years. The only year he had a semi-competent OC who tried to cater to his strength was with Norv Turner, and he had a decent year, and was improving a lot.

I think this postseason will finally write the book on Alex.

jsl

Nice work, TK.

Just give this kid a good, speedy wide-out — and maybe develop a slot — to complement Crabs, and we’re in the money; the TE’s are already tops.

hibcbcbc: Don’t worry; no party spoiled here, because you’re clueless on this subject, anyway.

Alex played fine against the Ravens, who simply overpowered Rachal and ADavis time and time again. And, of course, of our nine victories this season, at least four have been Q4 comebacks led by Alex.

Not only is he good enough to win “big games when they count,” he’s now doing it regularly. Oh, and while he’s surely not Rogers or Brady (or Drew, the way he played last night, anyway), he’s already better than most — and better than more than a few who’ve won Super Bowls.

If you pay attention, you’ll see what’s better this year: footwork, timing, quicker release, much better play calling (well, Duh!). Also, watch what he does after having called two plays at the line: he almost always picks the right one after seeing the D set up. You can see it in his eyes, if you’re onto that.

Here’s his big remaining weakness — and it’s increasingly clear it’s a pretty solitary one: though he’s learned “touch” and can now throw the long out, he still isn’t as accurate as he should be. (Cf. Brees last night, who was terrif; likewise, Rogers and Brady — and, often, Eli and Big Ben — have this uncanny accuracy.) If Alex can get that down — and he IS improving (as the low INTs demonstrate) — he’ll climb yet another notch.

And we’ll all reap the benefits.

Then maybe even the “haters” will throw in the towel and enjoy the fun the rest of us are having. C’mon, join the party!

jsl

P.S. to Bullship: Beat me to it. And pithily put, too.

qtlaw

I respect how AS takes responsibility for his actions and does not avoid it. That insight about how he used to count his stats on the sideline; great job getting him comfortable enough to reveal those things. Enjoyed TK.

Smith was “functional” from day 1 in Harbaugh’s system. Without an offseason. Without OTAs. Without minicamps. Contra Meyer, Smith didn’t need 3 x seasons, 2 or even 1 to get “comfortable” under Roman/Harbaugh.

And Smith’s admission he was trying to “please everyone” and thus, pleasing no one, including himself, rings especially true.

Smith has never been more accountable than he is today. No longer accountable to perfection, Smith is simply accountable to himself and most importantly, his teammates.

illiniNiner

@hibcbcbc
Wow, I didn’t notice until you “busted up the party.” We WERE exposed against a great AFC defense that we had 3 days to prepare for. A defense that when it feels like playing is better than any NFC team we will face in the playoffs. We will win our home game because we will have a bye week to rest and a full week to prepare for the team we face. And when we go to Lambeau we will be facing a Packers team that, if still undefeated, will not be looking as unstoppable as they are now. This is football. This is the NFL. Anything can happen. That’s why we love this game. The best team at the end of February is rarely the same as the best team in November.

Imagine what he’ll look like next year with this season and a full offseason under his belt….

TIM

Mr Mully :
The people that drafted Alex HAVE all been fired ,so Jerry Rice was correct afterall !

Although Alex is playing well,especially considering what we have been expecting from Alex over the years…But …Alex is still limited in his skill level and probabl;y always will be in the middle of the pack in the NFL,at best. I will cheer for Alex and I believe we can win it all with alex,if things go our way,but I still want an upgrade over what Alex can provide…and there is nothing wrong with that ,since Alex is obviously never going to be elite . Good game manager who doesn’t turn the ball over,and you can win a lot of games with Alex,as we have seen…but…with a better talent we could do soooo much better. If Alex is a long term starter here he will have either gotten a load better or we are just settling for average because no other QB stepped up that is on the roster and we didn’t go out and get someone who can.

mbflash80

great piece Tim…he may be flawed…but how can you not root for this guy?

TIM

Exactly MBflash80 ! We should all be happy for Alex and cheer him on. If I had a daughter,he is the kind of class guy I would want her to marry,but for the QB of my team I have higher hopes. But for now,Alex is doing so much better than the “old” Alex in several ways. Not nearly good enough for me to think of him as the long term solution,at least not yet,but a great story of a lesser talent hanging in there and finally proving he is not a bust and can win in the NFL.

robert rowell

#19 manning leads all QB’s in fourth quarter comebacks this year. i’m not exactly sure what your point is? that a great QB can beat another? imagine that. however, if you’re comparing alex to aaron in that same manner, i would (along with the rest of the known world) be laughing at you. i don’t want to dump on alex, he’s having a great year, but i am dumping on you for a really, really bad comparison.

hibcbcbc

Ok, so you all would sign Alex to 3 or 4 years and another 25 million? He is now the quarterback of the future?

Um, no.

If you say yes to that, you are the worst kind of homer.

Alex can have another 1 year deal to give Colin another year.

Nothing more.

TS

Great stuff. Kudos to Alex; really rooting for him.

israghib

Tim,

How did you manage to get this interview with Alex Smith? If memory or google recalls you seem to have bashed his play more than any writer on the mercury staff? Great article by the way, great journalism into Alex thoughts and his feelings towards football. I found out something today about Alex I did not know. Again great reporting.

Lance Newberry

“Alex has played WAY better than ANY of us thought possible”

That would be completely incorrect. There have been many who thought it was possible that Smith could play to the level he’s playing. And with legitimate reasons.

“You can’t hide your quarterback forever”

He wasn’t hiding anywhere when he drove the team to 4th quarter wins on the road in Philly, Cincinnati or Detroit.

Incorrect again.

“But Alex needs to get rid of the ball”

To just get rid of it? Just heave it up for grabs? Taking sacks and punting is a much better way to deal with pressure than trying to be Brett Farvre, and that is why the team was still in that Ravens game with a chance to win in the 4th quarter despite the Oline being completely overwhelmed.

Is he still too cautious sometimes? Does he overthrow his targets at times? Does he miss an open read during a game? Who’s perfect?

Haters gonna’ hate.

When it’s all over every team that makes the playoffs is going to lose except one; even two or three teams that have “elite” QBs will lose, and the 49ers probably will lose as well, and it is absolutely written in stone that no matter how it goes down many will say it was all Smiths fault.

I agree he isn’t an “elite” QB, but I think there are only four of those in the world today. IMO there are less than ten QBs playing consistently better than Smith is this year, and more importantly he has turned out to be absolutely the best of the realistic choices the team had before the season; significantly better than every other choice all the Smith haters were howling for.

No he isn’t a superstar and probably never will be, but people seem to think that it will be easy to find someone better. I hope they do because that player will be GREAT if he’s better than Smith is becoming, but I think it’s going to be pretty hard to find a QB who will be seriously better than Smith is right now at 27, with a lot of upside ahead.

I think they should sign him to a realistic extension with the idea that he can start for them and be successful, and even better to have him around if they CAN develop an “elite” QB (remember, only four of those out there right now so good luck with that) because Smith can be a GREAT long-term 2nd string QB, a rare and very valuable commodity many teams are choking on now because they don’t have one.

And I think it’s funny that now the Smith haters are desparately backpedaling and no longer screaming that he’s the worst QB of all time and simply can not play the game at all and it’s obvious to anyone with eyes, but now are saying he just won’t be able to win the BIG games, which again, every QB in the league except one won’t be able to either, so that’s a pretty safe bet, as will be the bet that if/when they lose the Smith haters will be chiming in LOUDLY that they told us all so, no matter how the deal goes down.

Right.

Maybe we can trade for Drew Brees next year. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Ben Brung

Kind of an odd time for people to be declaring the ceiling on Smith’s abilities when he is a solid candidate for Comeback Player. I’m also not ready to anoint him yet as there are certainly a number of questions but rooting for him is certainly a no-brainer.

In terms of the persistent Aaron Rodgers comparison . . . it’s a little bit apples & oranges in terms of their respective situations. Would Rodgers have been good enough early enough to save Nolan? Clearly debatable. Even if he had been better than Smith, how much would he have accomplished and how happy would he have been playing under Singletary in a mentality & approach to the game that had been mothballed for nearly 1/4 century? Even if he had been more individually successful than Smith, might that success have led to more attractive opportunities to get the hell out?

It seems to me that there is a strong possibility that, if we had drafted Rodgers, we could currently be lamenting how badly the organization screwed it up and let him get away. Certainly not the only scenario but possible enough the make the continued comparison a little bit of a stretch.

bobkat

Just like Alex’s play…….most boring interview ever!!!!!!!!!!

bullship

Lance- solid post…..how many super QB’s are out there? And for every Manning( Both of them) there is a Brady or Warner or even Brees or Gannon….QB’s are hard to find and often come out of nowhere. I would also point out that despite being jerked around by coaches, being given HUGE $$ , being bashed relentlessly in the press- He never copped an attitude, did not quit on a coach or the team, has shown physical courage on the field and not pointed out the faults in teammates or coaches….and zero off field issues( hello Ben) Who knows if Rodgers would have lasted thru the last 6 years of dysfunction that was your SF 49ers.

Smith is good enough to win a super bowl- on the right team. And who knows – he may continue to really improve. Bradshaw was garbage for 5+ years till he pulled it together, Gannon became real solid near the end of his career, Steve Grogan became I solid player after being in the league 10 years, the list is long. Even Harbaugh himself didn’t become captain comeback till closer to the end of his career rather than at the beginning.

QB’s , Coaches, teams often come together in unforeseen ways.

And I would have no problem signing Smith for 3-5 years at 5 -6 million per….at least he won’t embarrass the team in or off the field. If someone better comes along, great. I think , like Walsh, that teams should draft or sign a QB every years and always strive to have 3 good ones on the roster if possible. And considering the alternatives…kolb,hasselback, Jackson, umm who exactly was available that would have been better than Smith this year?

I think Smith has just really gotten started, the niners are still lacking at WR and ol imo…so let’s enjoy this ride. 10 weeks ago no one on this board thought the Niners would be looking at the #2 seed , with a real shot at getting to the nfc championship game….and now people are willing to call smith a failure if the niners don’t get to the super bowl. Really?

Smith’s leadership and solid QB IS a big reason the niners are where they are this season- I am going to enjoy the rest of the trip….you never know…

Less “for sure” please

Dear Alex,

Please cut down the “for sure”.

Mitch (route246)

Nice interview. I think his future, in football or beyond football is limitless. He could have been crushed like many other QBs who busted out but he kept at it, showed incredible heart and may, just may become a really good QB in this league. Only time will tell.

FeatherRiverDan

#11 is dead on…..

ladale

Quote: we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what we can do. Really only kind of toyed with what we can become and when we play well and kind of firing on all cylinders. I think a lot people have looked at the 9

ladale

Quote: “we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what we can do. Really only kind of toyed with what we can become and when we play well and kind of firing on all cylinders”. I think a lot of people see that potential in the 9ers offense and the potential of the weapons they employ. The issue/question after 11 games remains whether Alex can be the one to ignite the spark for an offensive explosion. Or would he be better served to go conservative and not put himself and the offense out there on front street with his either lack of or unproven skill level.

claude balls

@hibibcup:

Sorry, your credibility is shot. You predicted repeatedly with absolute certainty a 6-10 season at best because the team could do no better with Alex Smith as QB. You stated unequivocally that Smith does not have what it takes to win in the NFL. You have been proven wrong.

Of course, not having the stones to admit it, you pretty much have been hiding all year. Now, after the offense as a whole has a bad game, you crawl out of the woodwork to proclaim, again with absolute certainty, that Smith cannot win in the playoffs.

Given how badly wrong you were with your previous predictions of failure, your current gloomy forecast is not worthy of much respect.

Frank

TK,

By far, the most compelling and comprehensive interview w/Alex I’ve read since he’s been a Niner. Great job. I feel so good for Alex…he’s a winner, it’s just coming out for the world to see now. In Harbaugh we trust…for sure. He’s a Godsend for this franchise, this team, and in particular, Alex. We’re hearing Alex and Braylon, for two, say just wait, we haven’t seen anything on offense yet. That’s what they can focus on the rest of the regular season, so when the playoffs come, they can rock it. Again, great interview!

Tony

What it all comes down to is that Smith has improved enough to get the Niners to where they are now which is a great team. Anyone watching can tell that Smith is far more comfortable in games now than in the past. Even in that brief period when he was previously at his best before Norv Turner left he still had that kind of fidgety appearance in the pocket. Now he looks like a real QB and it has happened in a short period of time.

As far as looking at the fact that it took 7 years to get here is irrelevant. We can’t go back and change things and you can’t hold against him what he did or didn’t do in past seasons in a season where he is obviously playing good football. These are the same people that continue to complain about Barry Zito during the times that he’s pitched well for the Giants. No it still wasn’t at the level of his contract and yes it was a mistake, but the money is spent and it’s not our money anyway. He was still one of the best 5th starters in the league at times and will never be what the contract is.

We have to remember that Harbaugh got these results in a few weeks and is still slowly adding things to the offense. If/when Smith decides to come back next year with a full off-season things will look much better next year. I still think we have a good shot this year after a very competitive game against the Ravens in their house, but I’m also excited about what the future will bring after a full off-season.

illiniNiner

#24 – Did you just claim that Eli Manning is a great QB? I think the comparison I made was reasonable. No one gave Manning a chance going against Tom Brady and the 18-0 Patriots. Manning was a turnover-prone QB that couldn’t win big. Tell me what is so rediculously different about the two comparisons.

Yes, I do think Smith can beat Rodgers in Lambeau. I’m sorry you don’t feel the same way, but I would rather be an optimist and a fool than a pessimist and right.

outlawpanther

I think Alex would be a good backup qb, but he was exposed again on Thursday. We are going to need our qb to go out and win us a game every now and then, this was a opportunity for Alex to show us that he is capable of doing that and he failed, the defense has bailed us out in games this yr the running game has bailed us out too, and even the special teams, but our qb has yet too do so. I think Colin better be ready also because if Alex takes a dive from here on.

PaulS

I’m a little disappointed Smith isn’t giving Harbaugh and staff more direct credit for the turnaround. They are the single biggest reason for his success this year, and NOT that he developed a chip on his shoulder (he had one already).

Harbaugh’s system utilizes the players strengths – especially Smith’s – and I am sure he’s been given coaching “tools” that he can use to be a more effective player, to assess the play developing, and to make the right decisions. Smith has always been a smart guy, but given poor coaching and overall poor use of his players.

The coaching is evident throughout, as the defense has improved at least as much as the offense.

I would have expected more direct appreciation of Harbaugh’s impact on his success. That’s what a good coach does.

Eldon K

Nice Q+A… thanks for this, Tim.

hibcbcbc

@claude balls,

I admit it and take full accountability: I am surprised the 49ers are 9-2 and about to get a 1st round bye. Funny though, I don’t remember you predicting this outcome either…so I guess both of us are shot in the credibility department.

I promise not to say “told you so” when New Orleans or Dallas comes in here with 8 in the box and Alex’s eyes get as wide as a saucer.

Alex played well against the Giants against this approach. First time in his career where I can remember the 49ers won a game on his arm against a good team.

I apologize if I don’t take the results of a single game as proof of his Super Bowl worthiness.

But the proof will be on the field. He’s not elite. He got exposed Thursday. Harbaugh has done an amazing job.

But Alex isn’t beating the Saints, Cowboys, or Packers in the playoffs. Sorry. If you want to tell me I am crazy for making that statement you need to seek mental help.

jsl

hibcbcbc: Spoiling his OWN party with ever more goofy comments.

Oh, well. I guess the fact that he predicted no better than a 6-10 season with Alex as QB has also caused him to ignore/avoid reality.

Pay some attention to what’s happening on the field, Fella. Smith didn’t get exposed at all; try paying some attention to Chilo and ADavis when you watch the film, Silly Boy.

Guess it’s hard for a hater to give it up, especially when he’s so mired in his own dreck.

claude balls

@hibibcup

I didn’t make any predictions because I wasn’t so deluded as to think that I knew enough to accurately predict what would happen this season. That’s your thing.

I did say, however, that it was more than reasonable to think that Smith’s failures to date were the result of inferior coaching and that under a competent offensive coach, Smith’s play likely would improve. And it has. Moreover, given the fact that the team is learning this offense on the fly (no OTAs, no mini camps, truncated training camp), there is also good reason to expect that Smith and the rest of the offense will continue to improve.

As for Smith being “exposed” Thursday, I am amused that you completely ignore the 9 sacks given up by the o-line.

And stop with the raising of the bar. You said Smith wasn’t good enough to do better than 6-10. Now, after he has shown he is much better than that, you want to label him a failure if he doesn’t get to the Super Bowl?

The 49ers are going to win the division handily, be home for at least one game in the playoffs and likely be the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Given where they came from, that’s a resoundingly successful season for the team and for Alex Smith. Anything on top of that will be gravy for me. I am sitting back and enjoying this ride. You should too instead of wasting your time trying to rehabilitate your incorrect talent assessment.

Finally, you haven’t learned anything. You were absolutely and condescendingly certain that Smith couldn’t win in the NFL, and you were wrong. Now, you are just as certain that he cannot win in the playoffs. Given how badly you were wrong with your previous opinion, I would think that you would want to learn from your mistake or that at least you would have learned the value of humility. I guess that’s where I was wrong.

Alex Smith will be back and likely will be further improved next year. You had better learn to live with that.

DSuave

Um the Niners can’t win with Alex Smith. I’ll say it too. What?, one good season makes up for the first six-seven? Um no… He has played better this year than ever before. I’ll give him that. But the D isn’t good enough to cover for AS in the playoffs. As thanksgiving showed, the Niners are no 01 Baltimore on D. Sorry. They are getting to that level but AS will have given way to Colin before that happens. Feel good bout 9-2 but dont get all crazy thinking the Niners can “handle” the Saints or the Pack. They can’t and won’t. But they could beat the Boys I’ll give em that. But that game goes 50-50. Period.

bullship

Wow…so much faith in the Saints..a team that lost in the first round to SEATTLE last year…the saints don’t look that improved to me. Basically other than GB looking super good- and Rodgers is red hot right now- the Niners are very much in the hunt with the rest of the good teams in the NFC…and the AFC for that matter.

The hate towards Smith , and all the ‘ Smith will never….’ are actually pretty reassuring….the ignorant crowd is rarely correct.

Now, no one’s saying Alex — or THIS team — can make it to the Super Bowl, or play on a par with the Pack. At least not yet with this O — no speed wide-out, no good slot, horrible RG and RT. But smug self-satisfation at that impending failure hardly excuses another “hater” with his puerile anti-Alex rant.

But, gee, if everything broke right and we DID get to the SB, I’m sure our non-dynamic duo of haters would then simply switch gears again and prate: “But Alex couldn’t get elected President. . . . .”

Gus

I hope Alex bails after this year regardless of what happens.

There is no satisfying many of the most vocal 9er fans because he isn’t Montana or Young. Yet even Young started out as a major disappointment over 3-4 years for many fans because, even though he put up insane numbers, he couldn’t win a SB.

Until he won a SB.

But he didn’t win four so…

As far as career/age is concerned, Smith is 27 which puts him three years before Young was even a starter in SF.

There’s going to be a bevy of teams wanting Smith’s services. The 9ers will have paid both in money and time and tuteledge what another team will reap significant rewards for. Mark it.